JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNN) -- Crime-obsessed South
Africans have a powerful new weapon with which to stop likely
criminals: the car flamethrower.

Casting a man-high fireball, reportedly with no damage to the
paint, the Blaster has been placed on 25
South African vehicles since its introduction last month.

At 3,900 rand ($655), it offers a cheap, dramatic defense against carjackers. It has yet to be deemed illegal.

South African courts allow killing if convinced that
it's in self-defense. The defense is not unheard of. In last year's 13,000 carjackings, criminals often brandished weapons or used them with little provocation.

The Blaster squirts liquefied gas from a bottle in the
automobile's trunk through two nozzles, located under the
front doors. The gas is then ignited by an electric spark, with fiery consequences.

Both sides flame at the same time, regardless of whether the
attack is coming from just one side of the vehicle, or
whether passersby are on the other side. But the breadth and
depth of blast can be modified according to individual
preference.

"My personal feeling is that it would definitely blind a
person. He will never see again," he said

Firefighters, medical personnel and the police agree 100
percent "that it will never kill a person," Fourie asserted. "This is definitely non-lethal.... A person is not going to stand there for a minute while you roast him. It will fend off the attacker, and that's the end of it."

Fourie has filed an international patent application. He
anticipates thousands of orders nationally and from abroad.
"The demand is huge," he said.